Employment & Cultural Safety
Building a strong Indigenous workforce
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people bring skills, knowledge and perspectives that make organisations stronger. Across Australia, employers are setting Indigenous employment targets, creating identified roles and investing in First Nations careers. The real measure of success isn’t just who you hire, but who stays, grows and leads. That depends on a culturally safe workplace, where cultural knowledge is valued, cultural obligations are respected and cultural load is recognised and shared.
Cultural safety is also part of a safe and healthy workplace: under work health and safety laws, organisations are responsible for managing psychosocial risks, including those connected to discrimination, exclusion and cultural load. Getting it right brings real rewards: engaged and healthy teams, stronger retention, fewer disputes and a reputation as an employer of choice.
At Terri Janke and Company, we help employers attract, support and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent. As a 100% Indigenous-owned law firm, we bring together legal expertise, a deep understanding of work health and safety obligations, and cultural knowledge. The result is a workplace where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are safe, respected and able to thrive, and where everyone can do their best work.
Cultural Safety
Cultural safety is more than a policy. It’s about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience the workplace, services your decision-making. A culturally safe workplace is a psychologically safe workplace, where people speak up, stay longer and contribute more. We work with you to understand where you are now, identify gaps and risks, and build the systems that create lasting change.
We can help you with:
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Cultural safety audits: a structured assessment of your policies, practices, workplace culture and service delivery, with a written report and practical recommendations
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Psychosocial risk assessments: identifying and managing culturally specific psychosocial hazards, such as discrimination, exclusion and cultural load, as part of your work health and safety obligations
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Cultural safety frameworks and policies: tailored frameworks that embed cultural safety across your organisation’s governance and operations
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Workplace reviews and investigations: independent, culturally informed reviews and investigations into complaints of discrimination and culturally unsafe conduct
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Anti-discrimination advice: advice on your obligations under anti-discrimination law, developing anti-racism policies and complaint procedures, and responding to incidents
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Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) implementation: setting meaningful targets and actions, building accountability mechanisms, tracking progress and preparing reporting
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Cultural competency training: training for staff and leadership to build the understanding, capability and confidence to lead culturally safe teams
Employment Services for Indigenous organisations
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations are now significant employers. As you grow, so do your responsibilities to your staff. We give Indigenous organisations clear, practical advice on their obligations as employers, so you can look after your people and stay focused on your community and your purpose.
We can help you with:
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Enterprise agreements: Negotiating, drafting and getting your agreement approved, with terms that work for your organisation and your staff.
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Contracts and policies: Employment contracts and workplace policies that are clear and easy to follow
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Work health and safety: Reviewing your safety systems, including how you manage psychosocial risks
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Disputes and complaints: Practical advice when issues come up, resolved in a fair and culturally safe way
Every workplace is different, with its own people, culture and history. We take the time to understand yours, so our advice is practical, culturally grounded and easy to put into practice, and our training is tailored to your policies, procedures and people.
Talk to us about building a workplace where your people are safe, valued and able to do their best work.